Planning for the Week

Planning ahead can help you save time at night and spend your money wisely at the grocery store (preventing wasted food!) Plan your weekly dinner menu as a family:

• Include ideas from each family member.
• Include meals where leftovers can be stored and frozen (like soup and stews) or plan to fix a double meal and freeze the extra for later use.
• Not a fan of leftovers? Make meals that can be re-purposed into another dinner. For example, use leftover roast chicken to make chicken quesadillas.
• Remember-breakfast can be dinner sometimes. Try omelets or scrambled eggs!
• Try one new recipe at least once a month. Keep a folder of possible new recipes, but don't add them to the list until they are table-tested!

Tip: For a fun project, use a piece of cardboard or construction paper to record your family's weekly dinner menu. Let the kids decorate the paper and post it on the refrigerator so that everyone can see what's for dinner each day!

Here's an example of a weekly dinner menu that is healthy, yummy, and most importantly, budget friendly!

*Prices are estimates based on national price averages. Prices in the area where you shop may be more or less expensive.